Breaking the noise barrier Sumaira Abdulali MUMBAI, JANUARY 17, 2016 09:47 IST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 05:19 IST Noise levels in Mumbai are reducing every year due to increasing public awareness about noise pollution and peak noise levels. Hopefully, 2016 will see a dramatic fall. Committed citizens like 9 to 12-year-old children from the BDD chawls who measured noise during festivals in 2015, gynaecologist Dr Mahesh Bedekar, who has fought through the courts to control noise levels from festivals which disturbed patients in his maternity home in Thane, Ajay Marathe, who controlled noise from a mosque and a school next to his house, those who controlled noise from a construction site next to their building, give us hope that the trend of lower noise levels in Mumbai will continue and that we can aspire to a noise-free Mumbai in the foreseeable future.

While the Christian community was among the first to bring their celebrations in line with the Noise Pollution Rules several years ago by concluding their Christmas Midnight Mass before midnight, noise levels in 2015 during Diwali and Eid-e-Milad were lower in Mumbai than they have been for several years. Awareness campaigns in schools such as those conducted by NGOs Sanskar India Foundation, Akanksha and others and government campaigns in municipal schools have resulted in children educating their parents about the ill effects of noise during Diwali and a marked decrease in the use of firecrackers. Muslim clerics and activists announced their opposition to noise pollution during Eid-e-Milad this year for the first time and urged their community to not use loudspeakers.Dr Yeshwant Oke, Dr PN Rao and Saad Ali were among the first to oppose rising noise levels in the country, even before the Noise Rules were notified. Awaaz Foundation, with professional pro bono contributions from advocates Ishwar Nankani and others, began work on noise pollution in 2002 and has campaigned continuously since then, generating primary data, approaching the courts and creating awareness. Today, noise pollution has been recognised as a civic and health hazard that is taking its toll on all citizens in Mumbai, regardless of their religious, social or other status, and citizens have become increasingly vocal and active against high noise levels; many have taken effective action to control noise in their neighbourhood.Mumbai is the first city in India where citizens have gradually realised the ill effects of increasing noise levels on their health, and its example is spreading to big cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and smaller cities like Nashik, Benares and Aurangabad.Citizens’ pro bono contributions of professional expertise in effective awareness campaigns, like those designed by award-winning adman Josy Paul and his team at BBDO India, against noise have contributed towards this. The courts have also taken noise pollution seriously and have passed effective orders to implement the Noise Rules. Citizens’ individual successes have motivated others to follow – from being an unknown and ignored pollutant a decade ago, noise pollution is now recognised as a major health hazard for urban populations. Mumbai has been declared the noisiest city in the world by the Central Pollution Control Board.Festivals, though occasional, create the highest noise levels and cause acute distress to bystanders, particularly vulnerable ones like infants, the elderly and ailing. Animals also suffer distress. Pets can become disoriented and lost; bird populations can reduce and migratory birds can lose their way. This acute source has been the first from which general awareness about noise pollution and its adverse effects has arisen, and many have taken various actions to control it.Awaaz Foundation has measured noise levels for almost 15 years and obtained orders from the Bombay High Court to control loudspeaker use. Dr Mahesh Bedekar filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay HC resulting in strict orders for implementation of the Rules. Gaurang Vora obtained a clarification from the court that firecracker use cannot be extended beyond 10 pm, even on Diwali, and Ashok Ravat led residents of Shivaji Park to have it declared a Silence Zone.Other sources of noise which continue throughout the year contribute to making Mumbai the world’s noisiest city. Traffic and construction are two unregulated noisy events which cause distress to almost everyone. Increase in awareness about noise pollution has resulted in citizens’ action in this field as well. Awaaz Foundation measured the noise from traffic and construction and filed a PIL against noise from these sources in 2007. In 2008, Awaaz conducted the first No Honking Day with the Mumbai Traffic Police, which was replicated in other cities. Other citizens too have taken up this cause. Dileep Nevatia obtained an order from the National Green Tribunal restricting the maximum permissible decibel level of horns. The Pali Hill Residents’ Association and some residents of Andheri have controlled the timing and decibel level of construction in their areas, even in the absence of formal administrative guidelines to control noise.Responding to citizens’ activism and court orders, the government has also recognised the necessity of controlling noise pollution in our cities. In 2010, after Awaaz Foundation led a signature campaign to amend the Noise Pollution Rules to include construction and other forms of noise, the MoEF amended the Rules. Draft Firecracker Rules have been issued by the police, and the Maharashtra government has implemented measures like mandatory noise barriers on new flyovers, announcing a noise-mapping study, conducting awareness programmes in municipal schools and demarcating Silence Zones. The police have set up a (mostly) effective system to address anonymous citizen complaints. This system, while effective most of the year, often fails during peak festival season.To monitor effectiveness of police action, Awaaz has set up a Facebook page called Citizens’ Noise Map. Any citizen can download a free decibel meter to their Android device or iPhone, measure noise levels, complain to the police and post their observations on the page. Along with our decibel readings, citizens’ observations are periodically compiled and sent to the appropriate authorities.Exposure to excessive noise can result in deafness, high blood pressure, heart disease and mental illness. Hearing tests on traffic policemen and children exposed to high noise levels have revealed increased levels of deafness. However, we have hope for the future: due to rapidly increasing public awareness on noise pollution, peak noise levels in Mumbai during certain festivals are reducing every year, government authorities are undertaking noise mapping projects and installing noise barriers. Citizens are volunteering their time towards controlling noise from various sources in their neighbourhoods. I hope to see a dramatic fall in noise pollution from all sources in 2016.When citizens start participating in cleanliness initiatives against various types of pollutants, it becomes possible to control pollution and better our quality of life, moving away from the burden of disease. Initiatives like the Citizens’ Noise Map, PILs against pollution filed by ordinary citizens and other initiatives give us hope. More citizens need to participate in the anti-noise pollution campaign and ensure effective implementation of Noise Pollution Rules to safeguard their own health and well being.

What you should know

Noise Rules are applicable to all, regardless of religion, economic status.Police take anonymous noise complaints on helpline number 100. Request a complaint number.Police are equipped to measure decibel levels during a site visit.Loudspeakers are allowed up to midnight for only 15 notified days a year. Firecrackers are not allowed beyond 10 pm.Time extension up to midnight does not apply in a Silence Zone. No noisy instrument can been used in a Silence Zone.Even when loudspeakers are allowed up to midnight, decibel levels have to remain below prescribed levels.Traffic Noise

1Horns beyond 87dB are not permitted on any car.

2YAll multi-tone horns, including reverse horns, are illegal.

3Shrill horns are illegal.

4Please complain on the traffic police website with photographs if you spot illegally fitted horns.

4 Please post your findings on FB page 'Citizens’ Noise Map'.

What is noise mapping?1. Noise Mapping is an established method to capture existing noise levels and predict levels in case of change of land use like new infrastructure projects etc2. Noise Mapping in the UK is accessible to citizens through NGO Defra's interactive website3. Awaaz Foundation recommends the government should integrate noise mapping into the Development Plan

About the authorSumaira Abdulali is Mumbai's best known anti noise-pollution activist. Since 2003, Ms Abdulali has worked, individually and through NGO Awaaz Foundation, on environmental issues such as noise pollution, illegal sand mining, mining in bio-diverse forests, marine pollution and oil spills, eco-friendly festivals, protection of trees and on civic issues including laws on sale of tobacco to children.Awaaz Foundation networks with citizens’ groups and other NGOs to achieve maximum impact and has organized volunteers, offered support, legal advice and education to people suffering from excessive environmental noise. Ms Abdulali has relentlessly monitored noise levels of loudspeakers, construction equipment, traffic and firecrackers and interacted with authorities to ensure their support and co-operation. Due to pressure, the Mumbai Police set up a dedicated phone number to tackle citizens’ noise complaints and are strictly implementing timings and other requirements of the Noise Rules.Following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Awaaz Foundation, the state government commissioned noise barriers, noise mapping studies and policy change including a draft Firecracker Rules, and notified Silence Zones in Mumbai.

Pune: Aditya Ranade's 10-month-old daughter finds it difficult to sleep during the day and the night, and it's got nothing to do with being fretful. The thundering of superbikes passing by Ranade's roadside home in Mayur Colony in Kothrud is the cause of her discomfort. The family is edgy, yet helpless against the growing menace of the noisy superbikes, many of them with silencers modified for that peculiar rattling effect. The number of superbikes, or those priced upwards of Rs 5 lakh, have steadily increased in the city in the last three years. Besides their overwhelming looks and superior performance, many are notorious for the amount of sound they generate when in motion. "My daughter wakes up howling whenever a superbike passes on the road. After 8pm, several of them zip across our house one after another. The noise is unbearable and is disturbing for my parents too. The deafening noise they generate also drowns the sound of the television," Ranade said. Police must crack down against the bike owners, he added. "The noise is far above the limits permissible in residential areas. There is clearly some tampering done by the bike owners who may have got the silencers intentionally modified," he said. Motorcycle companies are in cohorts with the buyers, alleged senior citizen Sudhir Lalye, a resident of Ramnagar Colony on NDA-Pashan Road. "I go for my evening walk to Necklace Garden around 6.30pm. The amount of noise that a superbike generates after passing by hurts my ears, as well as those of my friends. I once approached a dealer of one such premium bike company near my house who admitted that they get a lot of requests for modifying silencers. He told me about fittings like an Indori Phataka to the silencer for Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000. Most bike owners are young boys who give two hoots about the law and use their vehicles to lord it over the road. The traffic police should act against them," he said. Deeksha Bannerjee of Sus Road said the superbike in her residential compound made such a noise that they are forced to shut their ears when it is being driven. "In fact, it can be heard even when it has reached the main road. I wonder how the owner tolerates all that noise which is irritating and disorienting," she added. Admitting that noisy bikes are a nuisance, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sarang Awad, said, "The noise levels are definitely high and can be very disturbing, especially at night, early mornings and on weekends. We take action against all such bike owners who intentionally modify their silencers. They must certainly desist from disturbing citizens in residential areas and around hospitals." The traffic police have taken action against 234 such offenders in 2015, their records reveal. The bikers are charged under section 190 (2) of the Motor Vehicle Act, which pertains to improper modifications to vehicles. The fine for modifications, in this case changes made to the silencer, could be up to Rs 1,000. They are also punished for causing a public nuisance. Recommended By Colombia Enforcement is key Sumaira Abdulali, founder of Awaaz Foundation that works against noise pollution, said the maximum sound permitted for all types of vehicles is 85 dB. "The noise levels of the modified silencers are more than that, so they are clearly illegal. It is up to the traffic police to enforce the rule, impound the vehicle if need be, just like they would act for any other safety violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. The excessive noise of modified silencers is not only irritating to those who are forced to be exposed to it, but also equally dangerous, even healthwise, for the bike owner who is exposed to it," she added. Bad for the bike Altering the silencer also affects the performance of the bike, said Rashmi Urdhwareshe, director of the city-based Automotive Research Association of India. "Silencers and exhaust handling systems control the engine noise and emissions. It is critical that the silencer fitted by the manufacturer is not tampered with. Any change is an unauthorized fitting. Such an alteration often leads to deterioration in emission performance and fuel efficiency. Authorities should keep a close watch on noisy vehicles, besides conducting awareness among youths," she said.

Pune: Aditya Ranade's 10-month-old daughter finds it difficult to sleep during the day and the night, and it's got nothing to do with being fretful. The thundering of superbikes passing by Ranade's roadside home in Mayur Colony in Kothrud is the cause of her discomfort. The family is edgy, yet helpless against the growing menace of the noisy superbikes, many of them with silencers modified for that peculiar rattling effect. The number of superbikes, or those priced upwards of Rs 5 lakh, have steadily increased in the city in the last three years. Besides their overwhelming looks and superior performance, many are notorious for the amount of sound they generate when in motion. "My daughter wakes up howling whenever a superbike passes on the road. After 8pm, several of them zip across our house one after another. The noise is unbearable and is disturbing for my parents too. The deafening noise they generate also drowns the sound of the television," Ranade said. Police must crack down against the bike owners, he added. "The noise is far above the limits permissible in residential areas. There is clearly some tampering done by the bike owners who may have got the silencers intentionally modified," he said. Motorcycle companies are in cohorts with the buyers, alleged senior citizen Sudhir Lalye, a resident of Ramnagar Colony on NDA-Pashan Road. "I go for my evening walk to Necklace Garden around 6.30pm. The amount of noise that a superbike generates after passing by hurts my ears, as well as those of my friends. I once approached a dealer of one such premium bike company near my house who admitted that they get a lot of requests for modifying silencers. He told me about fittings like an Indori Phataka to the silencer for Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000. Most bike owners are young boys who give two hoots about the law and use their vehicles to lord it over the road. The traffic police should act against them," he said. Deeksha Bannerjee of Sus Road said the superbike in her residential compound made such a noise that they are forced to shut their ears when it is being driven. "In fact, it can be heard even when it has reached the main road. I wonder how the owner tolerates all that noise which is irritating and disorienting," she added. Admitting that noisy bikes are a nuisance, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sarang Awad, said, "The noise levels are definitely high and can be very disturbing, especially at night, early mornings and on weekends. We take action against all such bike owners who intentionally modify their silencers. They must certainly desist from disturbing citizens in residential areas and around hospitals." The traffic police have taken action against 234 such offenders in 2015, their records reveal. The bikers are charged under section 190 (2) of the Motor Vehicle Act, which pertains to improper modifications to vehicles. The fine for modifications, in this case changes made to the silencer, could be up to Rs 1,000. They are also punished for causing a public nuisance. Enforcement is key Sumaira Abdulali, founder of Awaaz Foundation that works against noise pollution, said the maximum sound permitted for all types of vehicles is 85 dB. "The noise levels of the modified silencers are more than that, so they are clearly illegal. It is up to the traffic police to enforce the rule, impound the vehicle if need be, just like they would act for any other safety violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. The excessive noise of modified silencers is not only irritating to those who are forced to be exposed to it, but also equally dangerous, even healthwise, for the bike owner who is exposed to it," she added. Bad for the bike Altering the silencer also affects the performance of the bike, said Rashmi Urdhwareshe, director of the city-based Automotive Research Association of India. "Silencers and exhaust handling systems control the engine noise and emissions. It is critical that the silencer fitted by the manufacturer is not tampered with. Any change is an unauthorized fitting. Such an alteration often leads to deterioration in emission performance and fuel efficiency. Authorities should keep a close watch on noisy vehicles, besides conducting awareness among youths," she said.

​News Home » City » MumbaiNo lessons learnt: Poor quality of air on first day of new year in Mumbai

Vinamrata BorwankarJan 2, 2016, 01.10 AM IST Mumbai: The city started its new year on a bad note with the recorded pollution levels in the poor category on the very first day.According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Mumbai recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 300 on Friday, down from Thursday's 305. The day after Diwali in 2015 had recorded an AQI of 313.Despite the high temperatures during the day, the AQI has remained in the poor category for the past few days. The AQI uses 24-hour averages of pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and particulate matter. "In the 24-hour average AQI that we calculate we are getting higher pollutant concentrations during the night when temperatures drop as the pollutants get trapped closer to the surface. Due to this, the AQI has been similar to the days of Diwali when the emissions are much higher," said Neha Parkhi, senior programme officer of SAFAR. There has also been a change in AQI patterns at various suburbs in the past few days. While Bandra-Kurla Complex and Colaba would record AQIs in the good to moderate category, on Friday, it was 356 and 308 respectively. "This could be due to a change in the activity on the ground or a slight change in wind pattern. For instance, if burning wood has increased in the area owing to the cold, it could result in rise of pollutants," said Parkhi. Mumbai may not be able to fight the pollution using Delhi's odd-even number plate route as vehicular pollution accounts for less than 6% of particulate matter (PM10) in the city, according to the Air Quality Assessment, Emissions Inventory & Source Apportionment Studies for Mumbai carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute. Paved and unpaved road dust—together at 29%—is the largest source of particulate matter. Environmentalists feel bursting firecrackers to bring in the new year adding to the pollution levels when the city is already having such bad weather quality and other sources of pollution. "This shows that there is no sincerity in tackling the problem. In fact, politicians are themselves conducting firecracker displays. There are many other ways to usher in the new year," said Sumaira Abdulali, convener, Awaaz Foundation.